Better Days
by Cerberus Spectre
Summary: May and Skye on a mission that goes horribly wrong but they make it out unscathed, mostly, and still together to live another day.


**Just a one shot I had sitting around in my archives. Enjoy.** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **MCU :: MARVEL UNIVERSE :: MCU**

 **MCU :: MARVEL UNIVERSE :: MCU**

 _Melinda May was pissed._

This was supposed to be a simple mission. Coulson had assured her more than three times that _this_ would not happen. Of course, May wasn't stupid enough to take his word for it—but she was foolish enough to hope.

The data they wanted—no, the data _Coulson_ wanted wasn't worth the shit storm she and Skye walked right into. His alien carving obsessions were turning into reckless behavior, and May's frown was deepening into something much more permanent. Her reluctant promise she made to Coulson was slowly about to become a grim reality if he didn't pull his shit together soon and stop sending what was little left of S.H.I.E.L.D's resources on wild goose chases all over the planet.

They were down too many Agents for this. And yet as the new Director, Coulson could do whatever he wanted, which included sending two of his best field agents (for the moment) on a two man mission in Belgium without backup.

Given the fact that neither she nor Skye—and Coulson, apparently—were aware that Hydra was in the area. Melinda found herself in the current predicament she was in. Things went south _seconds_ after Skye sat down in the computer chair and plugged in her USB. May provided as much cover fire as she could, using real bullets instead of ICER's. It was Hydra. _Who the fuck cared_.

The more dead Hydra agents the better, Coulson didn't have to know. May was unsure if Skye retrieved what they came halfway across the world for, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

But what May _did_ care about was her soaking wet protege draped over her shoulders in the standard fireman's carry. Skye took two shots somewhere on her person before diving headfirst into Belgium's Scheldt river per May's rapidly fired orders just before their Quinjet was destroyed. Skye managed to swim a mile across the river next to Melinda before giving in to her exhaustion just before reaching shore. Melinda had to catch her before she went under and drowned.

By the time May reached the hard streets of the city, Skye's shivering had stopped and May forced herself not to break into a jog to her safe-house. With Hydra after them, they didn't need anymore attention drawn to them—despite it being late in the evening. A drenched woman in light tactical gear with guns strapped to her thighs carrying another woman in similar dress was already enough, even using the alleys was taking too big of a risk.

Melinda was starting to lose feeling on the tips of her toes and fingers, but they had finally reached her safe-house. Smack dead in the middle of the city but it was the perfect cover. No one would ever look for an Agent right in the middle of a shit storm. The enemy usually tried to outsmart the good guys and think outside the box. Sometimes staying inside the box was a good thing too.

May kicked the door shut and with one hand still holding firm onto the back of Skye's leather clad thigh, she used her free hand to lock all three dead bolts and place her hand on the scanner to lock down the entire loft. She wasn't taking any chances.

The senior Agent ignored the loft area and took the stairs behind a door that was disguised as a pantry door down to a lower level where her real safe house was, making sure to lock the door behind her. The air was a little stale but it was warm and compared to the winter air outside—this felt like paradise. May carefully eased the younger woman from her shoulders and down onto the sofa, two fingers quickly searching for a pulse just on the side of Skye's neck. May was relieved that she found a pulse there. It was too weak for her liking but she'd rather it be weak than it not there at all.

"Just hang on for a little while longer, Skye."

Once again cursing Coulson angrily under her breath, Melinda rushed to her bathroom suite while simultaneously stripping off her own wet gear. Not bothering to look in the mirror to check herself for injuries. May grabbed her first aid kit and reached inside the shower stall to turn on the warm shower. By the time she got back to Skye, May was in her boy shorts and sports bra—they were uncomfortably sticking to her skin but Skye was her top priority.

"...Mel?"

Melinda glanced up at Skye's pale face briefly, noting that the woman's eyes were still closed and her voice was hoarse but at least she was conscious again, somewhat.

"Yes, Skye I'm here."

Agent May began to carefully cut off of Skye's clothing as quickly and carefully as she could, eyes roaming over Skye's body for the injuries aside from the obvious graze just above her right hip and the other graze just on the inside of her thigh.

"...w-wher' are...we? Dead?" Skye's words were slurred and she rested her hand heavily on Melinda's bare shoulder, and her cold hand causing goosebumps to raise on Melinda's skin.

Melinda allowed herself a moment to be completely relieved that the bullet's didn't do more damage to Skye than that—neither of them needed that right now.

"We're safe now, Skye. Keep talking to me while I patch you up, okay?"

It was a struggle to keep Skye talking, and work on stitching her up at the same time but Melinda got it done. She cut off the rest of Skye's clothing and walked the naked woman to her bathroom suite and opened the shower door. The steam sweeping over both of them pleasantly.

Melinda made sure Skye was properly propped up against the warm shower wall before stripping off the rest of her clothing and joining the hacker under the warm shower spray, wrapping strong arms around a slim waist and pulling their bodies flush against each other. She felt Skye's arms snaking around her waist weakly, and Skye pushed her face into May's neck. Melinda rubbed her hands up and down Skye's back soothingly, kissing the top of her head quietly. She could feel that they were warming up yet they couldn't stay in the shower forever.

Soon enough, they were both cocooned in a thick blood red suede duvet with all of the lights out, encasing them in complete darkness. Skye was practically laying on top of Melinda but the older woman didn't mind one bit, she was content to stroke the path of Skye's spine with her hand...the tip of of her fingers traveling lower than what some would deem appropriate.

"Mel?" Skye whispered, startling May who had assumed that she was sleeping due to her heavy, rhythmic breathing and steady (and stronger) pulse.

May hummed in response and Skye shifted, raising her head slightly to look into Melinda's dark eyes.

"Are..." Skye cleared her throat gently, "Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't check earlier I..."

Melinda raised her head to peck Skye's warm lips, cutting off whatever fumbling apology the young hacker had no doubt come up with in her mind with unnecessary guilt, "If you're okay, I'm okay."

"Sap." Skye smirked slightly but Melinda could see her blush as if the sun was shining directly into the room over them.

Skye didn't say anything else and had settled back down, her ear resting over Melinda's heart like she did every night back at the Playground. Had anyone told Melinda that she would be so far in love with a hacker in her early twenties that was more stubborn than a mule...she would have broken their larynx. After Andrew, Melinda didn't think she had anything left in her heart to give after Bahrain and her failed marriage. Yet, here she was. Holding onto the last sliver of light in her world like she was a lifeline.

Skye _was_ her lifeline. If anything happened to her, Melinda was sure that not even Coulson could save her...not like he ever did in the first place. After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D, Melinda shifted Coulson to number two on her list of top priorities.

When Ward took Skye, Melinda was finally forced to acknowledge her feelings for the hacktivist—the senior Agent vowed that the next time she saw Ward she was going to put a bullet between those bushy eyebrows of his. Hydra informant be damned. He was a direct threat to her heart and threats had no place in Melinda May's life.

Skye tickled Melinda side gingerly, yawning drowsily. "Hey Mel?"

"Mmm?"

"This mission was worst than the last one...Tell Coulson I quit."

Melinda scoffed,"Get in line." She tightened her hold on her lover and finally closed her eyes, giving into her exhaustion knowing that Skye was going to be just fine. They both were.

 **MCU :: MARVEL UNIVERSE :: MCU**

 **MCU :: MARVEL UNIVERSE :: MCU**


End file.
